The vendor, a black man, wearing a very loud, colorful shirt with the picture of a jazz band playing during a funeral march, stepped closer.
Trigger stiffened at his proximity, and the man’s mouth stretched into a smile. “No worries, man. But I have somethin’ special,” he said, eyeing her expensive handbag. “Something not for the tourists. Somethin’ that’ll last.” He bent to pull out a black canvas bag then brought out a tray of charm bracelets, a far cut above the ones in the turning display case. “Is there anything you would like to try on?” he said, waving a hand at the tray.
Cass leaned closer, lifted her sunglasses, and pointed at a bracelet with long delicate, twisted loops.
“It’s sterling, a fine sterling. Is this the one you want?” He lifted it from the case and held it out.
Trigger took it and placed it around her wrist. Then he glanced up at the man. “Do you have a New Orleans charm? Something just as special?”
He bent and pulled out another bag and poured charms onto his table.
Cass pointed at one. “This one, please.”
He took the charm. “If you give me back the bracelet, I’ll attach it for you.”
After he returned it with the charm dangling on the delicate bracelet, Cass reached for her wallet.
Trigger pressed on her hand. “My gift, sweetheart,” he said. He paid for the bracelet, and then, once again, fastened it around her wrist.
“You should have let me,” she grumbled, but when she looked up at him, her smile was sweet. “Thank you.”
He wanted to kiss her, but he knew that would be crossing a line in public. And he knew they were being followed; he’d spotted photographers pretending to be tourists, snapping pictures whenever they thought he wasn’t looking. Still, her smile made his chest feel…full. He couldn’t wait to get her alone again and do more than kiss her sweet, full lips.
Chapter 7
Cass passed the rest of the afternoon in a happy haze. Yes, she was aware she had a job to do—pretending to flirt with her handsome bodyguard. Which was a breeze since she wasn’t pretending a thing. She couldn’t believe she was being paid to do something she truly enjoyed.
Trigger was attentive and always watchful, aware that if Eliana was being followed by someone who meant her harm that Cass would be the target.
Still, she enjoyed his company. Loved the low timbre of his voice when he spoke to her. Loved the small, intimate touches that a real couple would exchange. And they were…for now.
She had no illusions that when the assignment ended, she’d be moving onto the next job, and so would he.
That first night, after they’d made love long into the night, she’d decided to “grab for all the gusto” she could. She had a handsome, skilled lover, something she’d never really had the time to find or enjoy. That she liked so many things about him, that didn’t have a thing to do with sex or his amazing body, only added to her joy.
They had come from similar circumstances, knew what each other had been through to be at this point in their lives. They’d worked hard, endured pain and hardship, but they were strong individuals because of their training and their experiences.
Plus, he genuinely respected her. When she’d been a Marine, she’d met too many men who’d thought a woman had no business in the Corps. Women had two main purposes—as sexual partners or as wives who would be mothers. She was certain, after spending so much time with him, that he saw her as more than either of those two cliched roles.
When they reached the end of the market, she turned to him. “Well, our job is done,” she said, smiling at him.
If Eliana was nearly done with all her shopping for her bridesmaids’ gifts, they could be back at the mansion in no time. She and Trigger would sit restlessly through dinner with the team, sharing how their days had gone, whether they’d seen anything suspicious. Justin would call in to share any intel they might have uncovered back at HQ. Then it would just be her and Trigger, walking back to their cottage, maybe running the last few steps. If tonight was anything like last night, they’d be naked before they passed the couches in the living room…
Damn, she couldn’t wait to get some more of Trigger’s loving. Every touch was electric when he made love to her. The aftermath was just as nice when he snuggled with her body, pulling her close to spoon against her back, as though he hated letting go of her just as much as she did. If she could, she’d spend days wrapped inside his arms.
She pushed aside the dark clouds hovering at the edges of her contentment. All good things came to an end. Cass just wanted to know this kind of happiness, this blissful joy, for as long as she could.
* * *
Trigger couldn’t wait for this day to be done. When they got back to the mansion, he’d sit tapping his toe throughout dinner and the team’s daily debrief, waiting for it to end. Then he’d walk Cass back to their place—their place. He snorted. As comfortable as their quarters were, it was temporary. He kept having to remind himself of that fact because the more time he spent with her, the harder it was going to be to let her walk out of his life. He wondered if he could talk her into applying for a job with Justin…
He glanced around for the driver, to tell him to bring the car around to the end of the block, but he was nowhere in sight, which struck him as odd after the way he’d hovered all day around Cass. But then he saw the limo approach, sliding up to the curve. The door locks clicked, and he reached for her door to open it when he noticed something dark and shining on the trunk. A spatter of blood.
Before he could draw a breath to warn her or reach out to push her back, the back door of the limo swung open, and man wearing a dark hooded mask reached out.
The man grasped Cass’s arm and pulled her forward, but she shot out an arm and gripped the doorframe. Then she raised a foot and kicked the attacker in the chest, pushing him back into the car.
By then Trigger had his gun drawn. “Get behind me,” he shouted, reaching out his free hand to grip her shoulder and push her back.
The man in the backseat pulled his own weapon and leveled it on them. The driver’s side passenger window rolled down and another barrel pointed their way. “If you want her to live,” the man said, “step away.”
No way in hell. He dove over her, firing through the window and kicking the back door shut. Whoever was behind the wheel must have realized he’d missed his opportunity and gunned the engine. The limo jumped the curb then clattered down onto the street again and sped away.
When Trigger shifted to move off Cass, she groaned.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his stomach dropping.
“No. I’m okay. Just…banged up a bit,” she said. “We should try to find the driver. I hope he’s okay.”
“If he wasn’t one of them…” Trigger said, then remembered the blood on the trunk. “No, we need to call Stefan and let the team know.”
Sirens sounded in the distance.
He stood and reached down to pull Cass up. “We can’t be here when the cops arrive.”
“Right. Can’t let the bad guys know I wasn’t Eliana or this was all for nothing.”
With her hand clasped tightly in his, they took off at a run, heading deep into the French Quarter. They ran down Dumaine Street then turned onto Royal where Trigger knew there was a drugstore. Once inside, he drew Cass down an aisle, looking for disinfectant and Band-Aids to clean up her scrapes.
“Really? Now?” she muttered. “It’s just scrapes.”
“Let me worry about this. Call Gabe.”
She drew her phone out of her purse, tapped the call button and speed-dialed Gabe. “Hey,” she said, still breathless from their flight.
Trigger gathered what he needed from the shelves then moved to the pharmacy counter in the back to pay for his purchases, waiting his turn in line. He shook his head as he waited, thinking how prosaic this was, waiting in line to make a purchase when ten minutes ago, he’d been defending Cass against armed kidnappers.
When he was done wit
h his purchase, he turned to Cass.
“Stefan’s sending a car with one of his men to provide extra cover. I gave him our location. His men will buzz us when he’s outside. He said our driver is at the emergency room. He has a concussion. Plus, he’s cutting Eliana’s shopping spree short. They’re all headed back to the house.”
“Good,” Trigger said, nodding. “In the meantime, let me take care of this.” He knelt and quickly began tugging her arm to turn it so he could clean up her scraped elbow, and then moved downward, brushing dirt from her white pants before arriving at the little gash on her ankle. After he’d applied Band-Aids to her wounds, he glanced up. “Anywhere else?”
She pointed at her mouth.
He gave her a crooked smile and pushed up from the floor. Then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her mouth. Just a quick buss, but it was just enough to reassure himself that she was all right and in one piece, before he stepped back, remembering they were still in a public space. They both glanced around, but other than an older woman who gave them a wide smile, no one else was paying them any attention.
“That was close,” he said, dragging in a deep breath then raking a hand through his hair.
“At least we know they didn’t want to harm Eliana. They didn’t fire a shot, just used their weapons to intimidate.”
“I think I hit one of them,” he said. “The guy in the front seat.”
Cass blew out a breath that billowed her cheeks. “We can’t lie to the cops about what happened. It might leak out that her decoy was almost abducted, and we’re finished here.”
He nodded. “I figure it’ll be Justin’s job to keep a lid on this. He’s the one with all the contacts.”
Their phones buzzed, and they moved toward the front of the store. When their car pulled to a halt in the lane next to the cars parked beside the curb, Trigger held her arm. “Wait until I signal,” he said. Then he moved outside, glancing up and down the street before making his way to the car. The passenger side front door opened and one of Stefan’s men, the gardener he’d noticed the first time he’d stepped into the mansion’s grounds gave him a nod.
Trigger turned to signal to Cass through the window then opened her door and waited for her to move quickly outside. Even when the doors closed and the driver hit the gas, he didn’t rest easy, watching cars in front and behind them on the narrow road.
Only when they made it back to the mansion did he draw a deep, relieved breath.
He and Cass made their way into the house. Stefan was in the living room on the phone. When he saw them, he signaled for them to enter then quickly ended his call.
She sat on a loveseat, and Trigger settled beside her.
Stefan gave them both a tight smile. “The police are sending a detective. I’ve already spoken to Justin; he should be here before Eliana and her retinue arrive.” He glanced at Cass’s smudged outfit and bandages. “I’m sorry for this,” he said.
Cass shook her head. “Don’t be. It worked. We know there’s someone, other than news people, following her.”
He nodded. “Yes, you are right. Mr. Rosi sends his gratitude.”
Footsteps drew their attention.
Justin entered the room. “You two okay?”
Cass gave him a smile. “Right as rain, boss.”
Trigger nodded. “How are we going to handle the police?”
Justin frowned. “I called a detective who works for me now and then. He’ll take your statements. He’s already told his chief that this has to be kept on the down-low. Not the kidnapping attempt, because I’m sure there were plenty of witnesses who will attest to it, but the fact it wasn’t actually Eliana they tried to nab.
“After talking to Rosi,” he nodded toward Stefan, “he called me right after he spoke with you, he’s decided to cut Eliana’s shopping trip short, but he wants to keep her locked down here until we know more about who’s responsible. I’ll be increasing my security team; they’ll buddy up with Stefan’s men to patrol the grounds.”
Justin walked to a sideboard and poured himself a whiskey before returning to take a seat in an armchair beside Stefan. “You know, I was hoping this job would be a cakewalk.”
Trigger leaned forward. “Good news is that it doesn’t look like anyone inside these walls is involved.”
Stefan grunted. “Yes, otherwise, the kidnappers would’ve known she wasn’t Eliana,” he said, glancing at Cass.
She grimaced. “Did I kill my cover defending myself?”
Trigger shook his head. “I don’t think so. That kick was powerful, but anyone watching might just think Eliana was lucky.”
“If she’s on lockdown,” Cass said, “does that mean my job’s over?”
“Not yet,” Justin said. “We’ll still need you when we escort her to her plane. As well, we’ll need all hands on deck if someone tries to get to her here.”
“Think anyone would dare to try?” Trigger asked. “They’d have to know this place is covered.”
Voices sounded from beyond the room. Eliana, Gabe, and Levi entered the room with a man wearing a button-down shirt and dark slacks trailing behind them. Accompanying the stranger was another pretty blonde.
Trigger’s eyebrows shot up when he recognized her, and his gaze went to Justin.
Justin gave him a nod. “Yeah, we brought in a reporter.”
Eliana turned to the woman. “I thought I recognized you! You’re the one who helped rescue that ballroom of foreign bigwigs when they were being robbed.”
The reporter smiled. “That was me.” She touched the man in the button-down shirt. “Remy, here, and his brother were the real heroes.”
Remy snorted. “Babe, you took down two bad guys all by yourself.”
They smiled at each other before turning back to the group.
“Why don’t we all have a seat,” Justin said, waving to the sofa and the open chairs. “We have a lot to discuss.”
When they were seated, quick introductions were made. The reporter was Stacia Rice, who worked for the New Orleans Times, and no, she explained, she wasn’t the one responsible for the photos in the paper that morning. “My cameraman would’ve had much better pictures.”
Remy Cyr was a homicide detective with the NOLA PD, but because of his relationship with Justin, the chief had assigned him to handle this investigation. “We’ve already agreed,” he said, “that for now, we’ll keep secret the fact that it wasn’t actually Ms. Rosi who was attacked.”
All glances went to the reporter.
She smiled. “I’m going to tell the story of the attack, with no mention that Ms. Rosi was never the one in any danger, but I get the exclusive story when the perpetrators are arrested or Ms. Rosi leaves the country, whichever comes first.”
“She’s trustworthy,” Justin said. “We thought it best to get the story out quickly, with our own spin.”
Eliana pushed up from her seat. “I know we’ll be here a while. I’ll let Cook know we’ll have guests for an early dinner.” She waved the men back into their seats. “All of you, continue. Since I wasn’t part of any of this, you don’t need me for a while, right? Cook will need an extra pair of hands.”
Justin gave her a smile. “Food would be appreciated.”
Gabe grunted. “You can cook?”
Eliana narrowed her eyes. “I’d surprise you with what I know how to do.”
Trigger shared a quick glance with Cass. They both fought back smiles.
When Trigger glanced around the room, he noted that Stefan’s thoughtful gaze followed Eliana out of the room.
Stefan waved a hand at the wet bar. “Everyone, if you want something to drink, help yourselves. We’ll be here a while. There’s no need to be thirsty, and I need something a little stronger than a soda.”
Everyone rose and made their way to the bar. Gabe went behind the counter and took orders. He shrugged when Trigger gave him a curious glance. “I bartended for a while after I left the SEALs. I don’t make anything fancy.”
Wi
th drinks served, they all settled in.
Justin turned to Cass and Trigger. “So, fill us in on every detail you can remember from your day, starting from when you left the mansion after breakfast.”
“Yeah,” Remy said, “I’ll need a picture in my head. Anyone you met, who you spoke to along the way. I’ll have to have officers out canvassing the Market to see if anyone there noted any undue attention paid to the both of you. I already have them watching the hospitals and contacting walk-in clinics in case the guy you may have shot turns up.”
Stacia leaned in her seat toward Cass. “So, ‘The Heiress and the Bodyguard’ story was a ruse?” she whispered, just loud enough for Trigger to hear.
Cass grinned. “A distraction so that Eliana could go about her business unnoticed.”
“Ah,” Stacia smiled and sat back, her gaze flitting every now and then between Cass and Trigger as Trigger began describing the events of the day. Every now and then he’d look toward Cass to see if he’d left anything out, and she’d describe the scene in better detail, saying who she talked to, what she’d bought, what they’d looked like. He’d been better describing the photographers he’d caught snapping pictures.
When they got to the attack, Eliana joined them. “You kicked a man holding a gun?” she gasped, staring at Cass.
“Yeah. I’m hoping that didn’t let them know I’m not you.”
Eliana grinned and turned to Stacia. “I took kickboxing while I attended university. I don’t know that I would’ve had her courage,” she said, nodding to Cass, “but I have the skill.”
Trigger caught Gabe’s expression. A small smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Cass reached for his hand. When he turned to her, he could tell that she was also feeling sorry for the pair. He squeezed her hand, realizing just how lucky he was. Even if their affair didn’t last beyond this job, he’d always remember how it felt to hold her…and love her.
Hot SEAL, Decoy Bride Page 6